Mechanical toy



May 13, 1930. F. B. RENTZ ET AL 1,758,061

MECHANI CAL TOY Filed Dec. 8. 1928 Patented May 13, 1930 FRANK- B: RENTZJA'ND WILLARD-E.FANTLE; OF`YANKTONSOUTHDAKOTA MECHANICAL ToY Application flied Decembers, iazs` seriaiit; 924,635;

Our inventionrelates to aE mechanical toy andhas` for itsobject to provide. sucha toy that isactuate'd by a projectile arranged tof To the above ends, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices andco'mbinationsrof devices hereinafter described l and defined in the claims.

Inl the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indi-4 cate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

F ig. 1 is a perspective view ofthe toy;

Fig'. 2 is a1 view partly in elevation an'd partly in sectionf taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; V

Fig. 3 is ay fragmentaryy detail view principally inv section taken on the lineB-` of Fig. 1;

VFig. 4' is a fragmentary detail view' principally in section taken on the line 4 4: of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view in section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a View principally in section taken on theline 6 6 of Fig. 2.

The numeral v7 indicates a rectangular sheet` ""l metal base having an upst'anding marginal flange 8. Mounted on the base 7 is a race that is channelI shape in cross section and includes an elevating section 9 and a return section comprising an upper member 10 and a lower member 11 with a vertical gap l2:

therebetween. The V elevating section 9 and the returnmember 10 of saidrace aredetachably supported in part from the base 7 bfy a plurality ,of braces 13, as; shown three;

-'" Thesebraces'l are-detachably secured to the base` and race-by having on their ends lat-` erally extended tongues 14 that are removably held in loops 115 `on saidA base andE bottom"- of the race;

plunger 16J which works through the frontmember ofthe flange 81 andis provided with? ""5 a propelling; spring;Y 17. Thisspri-ng. 17 en'- circles thev innerend-l portion ofthe plunger 16 andis com-pressed between' the lla-ngeS and` a head-18 on the innerend of saidf plunger. The Vouter end portion ofthev plungerfl: works through a bracket 19onf the lange8- that holds the same for'straight line move;` ment.` A knob oringerpiece 20 is` applied to the extremelouterendlof the plunger 16 by which said plunger may be held' andE operated t-ofretrac't thesame and compress-the` spring: 1-7f and propel 'said plunger when the knob20 is released Al'iopenV endedrectan'gular casing21i is provi'dedforthe sprringlI and respective yend portion of the plunger 16. This casing 21 extends longitudinally be'- tweentheV front endl of the flange 81 and-the lower end of theelevating section 9j' of the race. Theouter Vendnof the casing 21 isclosed by the' front end' of thefian'g'e 8=and1-its inner end is rigidly' secured tothe el'e'vz'iting section 9 of the race. The'casing'21is1held in position at theright ha'nd member ofthev flangeV 8`1by an angle-22 secu-red tol' the baise? 7' and engages the left-hand side andi-top of said casing, see Fig. 1. 70?

By thusfsecuringthe casing 21 toftlie base 7l it in turni holds the adjacent end of the' elevating section 9 oftheracel in place; Afnendwise move of thec'asing'21- away' yfrom the front member of thei flangeSg will car-rythe connected portion ofitheracelwithit andlreleasesaid casingffrom theangle 22.'Y A power wheel 23 fixedf toai horizontal shaft 24 journaled'in bear-ings25"on1 the base Tis arranged tof-rotate in the gap 123 The bearings 25'ar'e{ providedat their lowe'rends with outturned feet 26 that are d'etaehably securedl to thc base 7" byloops' 27 through-S which they! tend: By springingfthebearings 25towzrdl x each other they may be detached from the- 90" loops 27; The r-m 28i of: the wheel232'is'lin` the' form of a channel that isseginenta i'ncrossA section; A plurality of' circunifeienl .l tially: spaced` pockets 29 are?'formed on' th'e periphery of the wheeli- 23 by? cuttingV and pressing outwardly extended radial lugs`30=` from the bottom ofthe' channeledrim 28. The wheel 23der rotatedl by" one or more projectilesiil' in the form ofballsiV asshow-n wei Formed inf` the?l bottonacfrthefraee attire' junction of the delivery end of the return race section 11 and in front of the plunger head 18 is a projectile positioning seat in the form of a depression into which the projectiles 31 roll from the return member 11 of the race. On the left side of the casing 21 is a forwardly projecting stop plate 33 which prevents the projectiles 31 from rolling out of the seat 32 as they are delivered thereto from the return section 11 of the race.

To impart rotary movement to the wheel 23 by the use of one or more of the projectiles 31, the catapult is repeatedly operated by drawing its plunger 16 outward to compress the propelling spring 17 and then release said plunger for action on the projectile 31 on the scat 32 and drive the same up the elevating section 9 of the race. The seat 32 is so arranged that when a projectile 31 is resting thereon the same engages the plunger head 18 and is held thereby slightly raised on the front edge portion of said seat so that when the plunger 16 is retracted the projectile will roll into the seat 32 and .follow the plunger 16 to be engaged by the head 18 thereof when said plunger is released. A blow on the projectile 31 by the plunger 16 will drive the same up the elevating section 9 of the race.

A stop 33 on the plunger 16 is arranged to engage the front face of the flange 8 and limit the projecting movement of said plunger by its propelling spring 17. The force of a blow delivered by the catapult of course depends on the amount of tension placed on l the propelling spring 17 by the retraction of the plunger 16 and this blow must have sutlicient force to drive the projectile 31 over the upper end of the elevating section 9 of the race and onto the return member 10 thereof.

To prevent a projectile 31 from leaving the race as the same reaches the top of the elevating section 9, a cover guard 34 is attached to the return member 10 of the race. A projectile 31 delivered to the return race member 10 from the elevating section 9 is precipitated from the lower end thereof and directed into one of the pockets 29 at one si( e of the dead center of the wheel 23 by a shortdepending spout section on said member 10. As a projectile 31 is delivered into one of the pockets 29 the weight thereof will overcome the inertia of the wheel 23 and impart the initial rotary movement thereto.

:As the projectiles 31 are successively deposited in the pockets 29 under the action of the catapult a continuous rotary movement is imparted to the wheel 23. The speed at which the wheel 23 is rotated of course depends on how fast the catapult is operated.

A projectile 31 will remain on the wheel 23 until the lug 30 of the respective pocket 29 reaches a downwardly inclined position in which the projectile 31 will roll therefrom and be precipitated onto the receiving end of the return member 11 of the racc. The receiving end of the return member 11 ot the race is provided with an upstanding guard 36, that is channel shape in cross section, with its side flanges loosely embracing the active side of the wheel 23. This guard 36 prevents a projectile 31 from leaving its pocket 29 before the lug 30 of said pocket has moved away from the transverse portion of said guard a distance suiiieient to permit the pro jectile 31 to pass between said transverse portion of the guard 36 and the outer end of said lug and direct the projectile 31 onto the receiving end of the return member 11.

A projectile 31 discharged from the wheel 23 onto the return member 11 of the race will roll down said race and onto the seat 32 and be automatically positioned in respect to the catapult. Or if there is a projectile 31 on the seat 32 the second projectile will engage the same and be held thereby. Vhen the projectile 31 on the seat 32 is driven therefrom by the catapult, the second projectile will roll onto said seat and be automatically positioned for the next operation of the catapult.

The return member 11 of the race is detachably secured to the base 7 at its rear end by a short brace, not shown, and its front end is detaehably secured to the race section 9 and casing 21 by being sprung between the adjacent side flange of said section and said casing and frictionally held thereby. This short brace is attached to the base 7 in the same manner as the braces 13.

On the left hand end of the shaft 24 is a crank 38 for operating an inanimate ligure 39. This ligure 39, as shown, is in the form of a man cut from relatively stiff material such as sheet metal. Said figure 39 is supported at one side of the crank 38 for rocking movement by having one of its feet pivoted at 40 to the base 7 and the arms 41 of said ligure are pivoted to the body thereof and to said crank. Obviously, under the rotation of the crank 38 by the wheel 23 move ment is imparted to the figure 39 which gives the same the appearance of operating the crank 38.

At the opposite side of the wheel 23 from the figure 39 is a well 42 for holding a body of water X. This well 42 is detachably secured to the base 7 by a tongue 43 which extends through a loop 44 on said base and has' friction interlocking contact therewith, as indicated at 45. At the front and top of the well 42 is an inclined discharge spout ,46 and below said spout is a return spout 47.

The inner end of the spoilt 46 affords a trip 48. On the sides of the well 25 are X-shaped supports 49 connected by a cross-tie rod 50 which gives the well 42 the appearance of the old oaken bucket type. The shaft 24 extends directly under and parallel to the rod and has formed thereon a crank 5l. A bucket 52 is pivotally suspended by a bail from the crank 5l for raising and lower'- ing movements into and out of the well 42. 'I he bottom of the bucket 52 is round for a purpose that will presently appear. Under the rotation of the shaft 24 the bucket is submerged in the body of water X to till the same then raised to a point above the well and thereafter lowered into the well 42 by the crank 5l.

During the horizontal or upper and lower movements of the Crank 51 the bucket 52 is moved thereby in the arcs of circles and durin g this movement of the bucket, as the same is lowered into the well 42, its round bottom strikes the trip 48 and tips the bucket 52 into a position. as shown by broken lines in Fig. 6V

and causes said bucket to spill its contents onto the spout 46. From the spout 46 the water spilled from the bucket 52 flows onto the spout 47 and is returned thereby to the well. it will thus be seen that once during each rotation of the wheel 23 a bucket of water is raised from the well 42 and spilled onto the spout 46.

Mounted on the sha-ft 24 is a small pulley 53 for the application of a belt, not shown, for use in operating a second toy for instance, a wind mill.

From the above description, it is evident that the arrangement of the several movable parts of the toy is such that when operated by the projectile 3l it gives the appearance of a man operating a windlass shaft to draw water from an open well.

lVhat we claim is: y

l. A mechanical toy having a catapult, a race having an elevating section leading from the catapult and a return section leading to the catapult and having a gap, a projectile, said catapult being arranged to project the projectile up said elevating section and onto the return section of the race, a wheel mounted to rot-ate in said gap, said wheel having a plurality of circumferentially spaced pockets, the discharge end of the upper member of the return section of the race being arranged to direct the projectile into one of the pockets in the wheel at one side of a dead center for causing the `projectile to impart a rotary movement to the wheel, said race having positioning means for centering the projectile in respect to the catapult, the return section of the race being arranged to deliver the projectile to said positioning means.

2. A mechanical toy having a rotatable member, a well, a bucket, operating connections for raising and lowering the bucket in the well, said well having a discharge spout, a trip, said bucket being arranged to engage the trip during its movement in the well and spill its contents onto the dischargel spout,

f and means for catching the spilled contents tures.

FRANK B. RENTZ. lVILLAR-D E. FANTLE. 

